On bright sunny Sunday with a noon kickoff, the mood was ebullient even on the light-rail trains where fans gasped “Wow” as the Vikings’ new home came into view.
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Several players on both teams lost their footing on the artificial turf during the game, one sign of the newness. What he did against the Chargers, though, suggested he’s ready for the regular season. Defensively, the Bengals held Jacksonville to just 90 yards in the first half. CBS Sports pointed out that Bridgewater “connected with No. 1 wideout Stefon Diggs all five times he threw the ball Diggs’ way, for 71 of those 161 yards”. The two have been locked in a battle all preseason, however Kalil has the leg up after Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Kalil was playing some of the best football of his career.
The team has started “wait lists” for tickets and suites. What happened next will be a thrilling, encouraging moment for fans of the Vikings, or Bridgewater. On one play, the Vikings’ offensive line opened up a giant hole and Jerick was able to turn on the jets for a 35-yard gain. He’s put together impressive preseasons in Minnesota before, and he stood out again Sunday, logging two sacks and forcing a fumble.
Melvin Gordon cruised through the middle of Minnesota’s starting defense for a 39-yard touchdown after Philip Rivers audibled to a run upon sensing a blitz.
The Vikings Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development Lester Bagley said the designation of the tailgating zone was the product of “four years of work and energy” to plan with the city of Minneapolis and neighborhood associations. John Sullivan, who’s competing for the starting center job with Joe Berger, also didn’t play. Bridgewater, a third-year quarterback with decent credentials, certainly isn’t in that category. Corey Liuget got between T.J. Clemmings and Alex Boone on a stunt to end one drive.
The Vikings practiced for the first time at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, and will start to get a real feel for the place on Sunday. This may be the most at a home game so far, but the capacity in the new, larger stadium is 73,000.
Dalton led the Bengals to two touchdowns in three possessions, earning him a little extra rest in a 26-21 loss to the Jaguars in the preseason Sunday night.
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“It’s a handsome place”, coach Mike Zimmer said, as purple-clad fans watched his postgame press conference from a lounge area the team walks through to reach the field.
